


love, and getting lovelier all the time

by Anonymous



Category: A3! (Video Game)
Genre: Attempt at Humor, Developing Relationship, Getting Together, Kinda 3+1 Fic, M/M, POV Third Person, References to Ancient Greek Religion & Lore, Slightly Inspired by Hadestown, some dirty humor, tsuzuru-centric
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-03-14
Updated: 2021-03-15
Packaged: 2021-03-16 16:14:48
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 6,450
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29952573
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/
Summary: It starts with their new script, a modified retelling and continuation of the tale of Orpheus and Eurydice. In order to recreate the close bond on stage their characters have, Tsuzuru and Itaru go on dates to get to know each other better and deepen their relationship. With each date, there's something new to discover about the other, and naturally, feelings do deepen.It's just not the ones either of them had expected.
Relationships: Chigasaki Itaru/Minagi Tsuzuru
Comments: 4
Kudos: 13
Collections: A3! Big Bang 2021, Anonymous





	1. road to hell?

“Ah, Director, do you have a moment?” It’s 1 AM when Tsuzuru pokes his head into the living room, dark circles highlighting turquoise eyes that were threatening to close. Izumi watches him with a concerned look and waves him over with a hand.

“Yea, what’s up?” She asks, turning her attention back to some anonymous notes and confessions submitted earlier in the week. _We should get someone to check the water pressure,_ Izumi hums softly as she read multiple confessions that said it felt weaker than last week’s. Tsuzuru coughs into his shoulder as he sits down next to Izumi, shifting in his seat. Izumi’s lips twitch at the corners, and she turns to face Tsuzuru.

“Is something wrong?” Izumi asks, setting down the little sticky notes and ripped notebook paper in her hands on the coffee table. “You should be catching up on sleep.”

Tsuzuru shoots a pained smile at Izumi. “That’s what my body’s thinking, but I just had to tell you this idea.”

“Sunday morning at 1:27?” Izumi’s eyebrows curve downward, following her lips, and Tsuzuru chuckles dryly.

“Well, I just finished uni work, so there’s that.” Sighing, he slumps backward onto the back of the couch, eyes looking up at the ceiling.

“I’ve, um...I’ve been really into the classics lately. Like Homer and Sophocles and…” Tsuzuru ducks his head, his chin tucking itself into his chest. “I think the Greek myths would work well with Spring Troupe’s image, mythological elements and all. I know we already did something similar with the theme park that one time for Miyoshi-san’s father, but it was pretty long ago and a one-time performance, so I was just thinking—“

“Tsuzuru-kun, you’re rambling,” Izumi says as she laughs. “I trust you, so there’s no need to justify yourself. Unless you’re telling me the script’s going to be bad.” 

Tsuzuru laughs sheepishly. “Sorry, and I’m not. At least I hope not. Tomorrow, could you bring Sakyo-san with you to your office? I want to discuss the script.”

“Greek mythology?” Sakyo asks, no doubt remembering their promotional act for Miyoshi’s father. Izumi goes through her copy of the script too, her hand slightly waving around as if she were directing the actors on stage. Tsuzuru drums his fingers on his thighs. 

“Yes,” Tsuzuru replies, hands stilling on top of the papers. “Like how I wrote _Oz_ as a prologue, segueing into the real story; this will be the opposite, a continuation.”

Sakyo nods as his eyes roam the pages. “It indeed fits Spring Troupe’s image of fantasy and fairy tales. Our budget should be enough, too, right?” 

Tsuzuru nods as he places the shut script in his lap. “We should have more than enough leftover fabric to make the costumes. They don’t need to be all that detailed this time.”

“Okay then, we’ll go with this,” Izumi says as she shuts her copy of the script. “Meeting tomorrow?” Tsuzuru nods to confirm, and she smiles, jumping up out of her seat. “Great! I’ll message the others about the meeting tomorrow. You”—she points to Tsuzuru—“can go to sleep now.”

Tsuzuru opens his mouth, “Ah wait, I’d—”

“Sleep now!”

Tsuzuru closes his mouth.

* * *

“Wah~ This is really nice!” Sakuya exclaims as he reads the script. Next to him, Citron agrees, going on spiels about the Greek myths and the different versions he’s read in Zahran—versions that make no sense, but Tsuzuru keeps the upcoming retort tucked under his tongue.

“The story of Orpheus, huh,” Chikage hums. “I didn’t think you’d pick such a romantic story.”

“I changed it similar to how I reworked _Romeo and Juliet_ for our first play. Though I guess the vibes are different,” Tsuzuru says. “There are magic and otherworldly beings involved, after all.”

“If it’s a romantic play, then—,” Masumi isn’t allowed to finish his sentence before the Director claps her hands.

“Okay! So, I already have in mind who could be our leads this time around, but I’m wondering if anyone else has any other ideas?” Masumi’s hand rises, but Citron quickly grabs it and throws both their hands up in a cheer.

“No objections? Great!” Izumi claps her hands again, smiling wide. “It’s been a while since Tsuzuru-kun’s had a lead role in a play, so I think it’s time he gets one again.” Tsuzuru’s mouth falls open in surprise.

“If it’s like that, Itaru-san hasn’t been co-lead in a while!” Sakuya chimes in, smiling as he looks at said member. Itaru makes a noise that’s a cross between a hum and a choking gasp.

“Ah, it has been a while, hasn’t it?” Itaru murmurs. “Last I remember, my last co-lead role was the Mad Hatter for Alice.” He tilts his head as he makes a noncommittal noise. “Wow, it’s been so long.”

Izumi nods her head furiously at that. “Exactly! I’d like a little balance with the lead roles, so, Itaru-san, you’re up to bat!”

“Director, I think you’ve been around Kumon too much,” Tsuzuru says, and Izumi huffs and waves a dismissive hand. Masumi frowns in his seat but drops his eyes back onto the script.

“If Tsuzuru is going to be Orpheus, can I be Hades?”

“Oi, I didn’t agree just yet! And Hades— Are you purposely trying to go against me!?”

“And those are the assigned roles! Recap: Tsuzuru-kun is Orpheus, Itaru-san is Eurydice, Masumi-kun is Hades, Sakuya-kun is Persephone, Chikage-san is Thanatos, and Citron is Hermes!” Izumi claps her hands happily. “Is everyone fine with their roles?”

Tsuzuru’s lips purse as he looks down at his script, skimming through Orpheus’s lines. He had altered the myth to suit Spring’s focus on friendship, but due to the romantic nature of the original myth and his lack of romantic experience, Tsuzuru’s sure this play will be troublesome for him.

“I have a concern,” Chikage raises his hand as if they’re in kindergarten, and Itaru glares at the other. Odd. “While Chigasaki and Tsuzuru are close, they still need to be able to show the type of relationship that Orpheus and Eurydice have with each other.” Tsuzuru didn’t quite like the weird emphasis the man had put on the word ‘relationship,’ but Chikage was just being cryptic like usual, so he lets it slide.

“Are you doubting my relationship with Tsuzuru?” Itaru pipes up, bumping his knee into Chikage’s. “I’ll have you know that we’re quite close.”

“Oh, that is news to me,” Citron says, and Itaru exclaims loudly over Sakuya’s shoulder to protest the statement.

“Well, it wouldn’t hurt for you two to strengthen your bond further, so I don’t see any issue. What do you suggest they do, Chikage-san?” Izumi presses her fingertips together and plants her elbows on her knees as she leans in to listen to what the man would have to say.

Chikage smiles and Tsuzuru feels shivers go down his spine. “Well, simple outings and get-to-know meetups should suffice, right?”

Tsuzuru’s heart sinks as he realizes that’s just fancy talk for _dates._


	2. The flowers will bloom...

Tsuzuru feels his phone buzz in his pocket and takes it out to check what it was. The notification is a LIME from Itaru, who texted him to say he was outside campus grounds on the street across Main. Tsuzuru’s nose scrunches up a little in annoyance and turns to Juza, the purple-haired boy standing next to him on the lookout for their other Yosei-attending troupe mates. 

“Juza,” Tsuzuru says, drawing the other’s attention to him. “I’m sorry, Itaru-san just texted me saying he’s waiting for me at the other end of campus. I have to meet him there.”

Juza shrugs. “S’fine, it’s no big deal. You guys are the leads in your next play, right?.”

Tsuzuru laughs as he texts Itaru a confirmation that he hopes comes off as annoyed. “Yeah. Itaru-san and I have to act like best friends in the play, and the director and rest of Spring thought up the plan of us starting to hang out together to form that closer bond.”

Juza nods, tilting his head in thought. “Makes sense. Good luck, Tsuzuru-san.”

“Thanks, Juza. You and Taichi make sure Tenma doesn’t stray off and get lost, alright?”

“Will do.”

With that, Tsuzuru sets off and runs to the other end of campus, waving at the people who called out to him. His phone buzzes in his pocket again, and Tsuzuru doesn’t bother to check it because he knows what it’ll say.

“Why didn’t you text me earlier you wanted to meet up? Or even this morning, when we bumped into each other at the coffee machine?”

“You make me sound so awk,” Itaru remarks as he makes a right-hand turn. “And I only got the idea after I left work.”

“And just when did you leave work?” Tsuzuru asks because Itaru wasn’t dressed in his salaryman suit when he had picked up Tsuzuru. Instead of the tan two-piece, Itaru was in a loose, striped pink-and-white T-shirt and blue jeans that would have looked more in-character on Sakuya. Actually, it was nearly a perfect replica of one of their leader’s outfits. 

“Hmm, an hour ago? I planned to game but saw the new script on my desk and thought I’d take you out instead.” Tsuzuru groans at the phrasing—causing Itaru to laugh—but he ignores it to berate the man.

“And you couldn’t have texted me ahead of time? I had to run from the other side of campus to meet you.” He would’ve punched the older man in the shoulder if he wasn’t driving. Itaru simply throws him a quick glance and smirk.

“Aw, but seeing you all angry and huffy is cute.” He shoots a finger gun at Tsuzuru, who mimics deflecting it. 

“You’re annoying, you know that?” Tsuzuru snaps, scowling as he turns away from Itaru to look outside his window. Itaru laughs again but quiets down to let the KniRoun OST play inside his car, the sounds of violins and flutes being the only noise in the car. Tsuzuru thinks this is the music that plays when players first meet Merlin.

“...Where are you taking us, by the way? Looks a little far.” Tsuzuru’s eyes take in the expensive-looking boutiques they were driving past—shops he normally wouldn’t see anywhere near Veludo Way. “An arcade?”

Itaru hums as he slows to a stop at a red light. “As much as I’d love to take you to an arcade, it’s not like we’re struggling to communicate.” 

Tsuzuru smiles a little at that. “Okay, so then where are you taking me?”

“A coffee shop. Tsumugi and Banri told me about it a while back. You like coffee, don’t you?”

Tsuzuru huffs out air, faint traces of laughter tumbling out past his lips. “Well, I don’t know about that. I just drink it for my school assignments and scriptwriting crunches.” Itaru chuckles, his eyes curling at the corners. 

“You telling me to turn around after all my hard work into finding this place for you?”

“You literally just told me Tsukioka-san and Banri told you about this place. There’s no hard work put in at all.” Tsuzuru almost elbows Itaru but chooses to air the motion. Itaru instinctively curls in on his side (is he ticklish?) but keeps the car straight.

“Hey! I’m driving here!”

“Don’t make me mad then!” Tsuzuru throws back, but it’s not serious and they settle back down, the KniRoun music giving way to an anime opening Tsuzuru doesn’t recognize.

_Open your eyes to see a new beginning that’s just begun!_

Tsuzuru looks all around the cafe, a quiet little place that’s tucked into a corner. It sits close to a flower shop and bookstore, and Tsuzuru is kindly reminded of the fanwork he’s seen float around about their plays on the Internet. A couple of students sit at the far corner of the store, and an elderly woman and young boy sit tucked against the wall sharing an ice cream.

“Cute, right? Banri showed me pictures of the place.” And it is cute, even with the odd mix of pink, yellow, orange, and brown. The walls are painted in a gradient of the first three pastel colors, and fat dark brown spots hang out near the bottom of the orange shade, like tapioca pearls in tea. There’s a wide window at the storefront too, no logo frosted onto it from what Tsuzuru can see. The wooden furniture adds to the look, and Tsuzuru is instantly charmed.

“Yea, it is nice. I’ll have to thank Tsukioka-san and Banri for letting you know of this cafe...Ah! And thank you for taking me here, Itaru-san.” Tsuzuru turns to face Itaru, who waves a hand to cut him off.

“No need for that, let’s just go order.” Itaru brings Tsuzuru up to the register, where no one was waiting. The two looked at each other because the door to the shop had a bell that rang pretty loudly. As that thought passes through their minds, a voice yells out from the kitchen, telling them to please wait.

“Sorry! Had to help out back there,” a boy who looked to be in high school came walking out from behind a curtain. “What could I get you two?”

“A soda for me, please,” Itaru says smoothly, leaving Tsuzuru to fumble with the menu options.

“A-ah, I’d like an iced coffee, please,” Tsuzuru says, smiling sheepishly. The boy adds up their total, and before Tsuzuru can even pull out his wallet, Itaru already has the money out for the cashier to take, who accepts it quickly and asks them to sit and wait as he goes into the back.

“Itaru-san!” Tsuzuru says indignantly, his right hand still near his pocket where his wallet rested. “I could’ve paid for myself, you know.”

Itaru takes them to the front of the shop, sitting at a table near the frosted window. “That defeats the purpose of me bringing you here though? Let me do a nice thing for you, Tsuzuru.”

An embarrassed blush darkens Tsuzuru’s cheeks as he slides onto the chair, so the younger man turns his gaze off to the right. “Well then...thanks, Itaru-san, for bringing me here and paying for me.”

“No problem, Tsuzuru,” Itaru says, before pausing. “Play a game with me?”

“Is Banri not available?”

“He’s not.”

“Ah...Okay, I guess I can. To pay you back for today.”

“Sweet, you’re the best.” Itaru’s eyes glitter, and Tsuzuru almost stares at them for a second too long before Itaru turns away, walking towards a table. Tsuzuru blinks to break up his thoughts before he follows after, sitting down across from Itaru. 

“What’s the game about?” Tsuzuru asks, and the gamer’s eyes sparkle again at the mention of his interest.

“I’m using it as a reference for the play. It’s based on the Greek myth you’re using.”

Tsuzuru’s eyebrows raise. “That’s interesting. What kind of game is it?”

“It’s an eroge.”

“A what!?” Tsuzuru yelps as Itaru holds back a snort. The employee soon comes over with their drinks and sets them down on the table while Tsuzuru’s still staring at Itaru wide-eyed. 

“Hope you enjoy your drinks!” he says before departing again, and Itaru voices his gratitude before turning his eyes back onto Tsuzuru. Planting his elbow onto the table and laying a cheek onto his palm, Itaru’s eyes and mouth smile.

“You’d think a guy like you, who’s worked so many customer service jobs, would be one of the first to jump and thank a service worker.”

Tsuzuru snaps out of his trance and hisses. “I’m sorry, but I’m trying to process the fact you’re going to make me play an—,” he chokes on the word here, and Itaru’s smile shakes at the corners before the man lets out a choked snort and drops his head into the crook of his arm to laugh.

“Tsuzuru,” he says, all laughs and muffled words, “it was a joke. It’s just your regular, run-of-the-mill otome.” Tsuzuru’s face upgrades from pink to red and he reaches over to hit the man on the shoulder.

“Itaru-san! It’s not funny!” Tsuzuru falls back into his chair, red-faced and embarrassed enough for three lifetimes. “I seriously thought you were going to make me play it!”

“That’s what makes it funny,” Itaru wheezes out, his chest moving with every inhale and exhale of laughter. Tsuzuru frowns and takes a sip of his coffee, letting the bitterness take his mind off the handsome laughing man in front of him. 

“Why do we even need to play an otome game if our relationship in the play is just friends?” Itaru snorts and takes a few seconds before answering to get air back into his lungs.

“It’s marketed as an otome, but really the player character couldn’t be more detached from the characters. The only real interactions that can classify as romantic are in the Hoppi Chats. I guess there are some moments during the actual story that can classify as romantic, but most of the time you’re just focused on the—,” Itaru prattles on about his game, and Tsuzuru just sits back and sips on his coffee.

(“Here. Raise their—”

“Gotta raise their Attention stat to unlock the Hoppi Chat, right?”

“...”

“Itaru-san?”

“Ah, nothing. Yes, you’re right. Do you remember what I said about the Skill Training?”

“Um…”

“Guess you weren’t listening to me yesterday, huh~ I’ll forgive you this once.”)

* * *

Tsuzuru is in the lounge, stretched out over the couch, a two-hour-long documentary about the history and culture of Greece playing on his laptop on the coffee table. The sun is beginning to dip down and start the end of the day, and Tsuzuru sighs as he lays his cheek on the couch, his left arm curled behind his head. 

The picture of relaxation. He hasn’t felt this content in a while.

The front door opens. Immediately, Tsuzuru can only pick out Kumon’s voice, but he knows Azami and the St. Flora duo weren’t far behind. He groans and grabs a nearby cushion to press his face into. He forgot today was a school day.

“And then he— Ah, Tsuzuru-san! I didn’t see you there!” Kumon chirps, and Tsuzuru pulls his face away from the cushion to properly look at the student.

“Hey guys, welcome back.” He nods at the other three who are standing farther back. “I don’t know if you want anything, but Fushimi-san told me earlier that there were sandwiches in the fridge.” Kumon cheers and leads the group to the kitchen, and with their voices further away, Tsuzuru can almost regain the earlier sense of peace he lost.

…

Tsuzuru opens his eyes to find his laptop turned off and closed. He’s got a cherry-pink blanket thrown over him, and a small gray cat plush was placed near his stomach. He thinks he knows who covered him up, and spots Hisoka curled up in the armchair above his head. A clock propped up on the wall past the sleeping man’s shoulder reads 8:53 PM. 

_Ah, it’s past dinner._ Tsuzuru groans as he gets up, picking up the stuffed gray cat and setting it down where his head previously was. Standing now, Tsuzuru folds up the blanket and places it next to the gray cat. He stretches his arms above his head and as his back pops, someone walks into the lounge.

“Woah, you’re awake. Perfect timing, I was just gonna planning on going out.” Itaru approaches Tsuzuru and makes a move as if he’s going to poke the other’s side. Immediately, Tsuzuru’s arms drop to block off his sides, and Itaru chuckles. “Hurry and get a jacket or something.”

Tsuzuru frowns. “Where are you going? And I haven’t had dinner yet.” Itaru was dressed pretty warmly, in a sweater with four different shades of brown horizontal stripes over a white button-up. 

“I’ll buy you something on the way,” Itaru says as he waves his hand and phone in the air. “You can choose something before we get to the park.”

“The park at this hour? I’ll pass, thanks.”

Itaru pouts, and Tsuzuru’s throat squeezes tight. “But we have to bond for our roles, right? Come on, we won’t be out for long, I promise.” He leans forward and tilts his chin down, giving Tsuzuru the worst puppy eyes he’s ever seen, and Tsuzuru holds still for all about three seconds before snorting.

“Okay, fine. Let me put on some warmer clothes.” Itaru nods, flashing a smile, and says he’ll wait for him. Tsuzuru smiles back and walks off to change into a sweater and put on a jacket, just in case the temperature drops any further.

As he walks out of the lounge into the courtyard to cross to get to his room, he thinks he hears Hisoka say something. Tsuzuru can’t be sure, but he does hear Itaru grumble. _They must be complaining about Chikage-san_ , Tsuzuru smiles to himself.

(One day he’ll learn they were talking about him, but not tonight.)

“Itaru-san, why are we going to the park this late?” Tsuzuru asks as he follows after the other. If he so chose to, he could’ve reached out for Itaru’s limp hand, swinging uselessly at his side. He could lie and say it’s so he can keep pace with the impatient, briskly walking gamer, but he won’t. 

(Not right now, anyway.)

“There’s a special Technomon event today and I had to miss out on it for most of the day.” The gamer taps at his phone-screen, clicking on a light blue icon that Tsuzuru notices has a half-gold, half-white circle logo on it. 

“Couldn’t you have gone without me?” Tsuzuru frowns, picking up his pace so he could stand next to Itaru; the other goes on about his low stamina but at this moment, Tsuzuru’s amazed at how fast he’s walking.

“Nah, we got that thing Senpai suggested we do, remember?” Itaru turns around for a quick second to tap Tsuzuru’s forehead. “We gotta hang out to deepen our relationship.” The casual way the statement was said should make Tsuzuru feel annoyed, but instead, it makes his cheeks burn, so he figures the feeling of the cold had outweighed his annoyance and rubs his cheeks to ward off the wind.

“Right. Still, did you have to drag me out right after I woke up after a nap?”

Itaru laughs as his head turns to smile at Tsuzuru. “You’re lucky I didn’t wake you up immediately when I got home. That would’ve been mean.”

Tsuzuru rolls his eyes as he slides his hands into his jacket’s pockets. “Well, you promised me you’d buy me something to eat, and you still haven’t bought me anything. Want to do that anytime soon, or should I just ditch you now?”

The shorter man feigns shock, gasping like a rookie actor, overdramatic and cringeworthy. Tsuzuru laughs and rolls his eyes, sighing loudly as he proclaims, “I could’ve been doing work or practicing my lines instead of spending this time with you.” 

Itaru bumps his shoulder into Tsuzuru’s, making the both of them laugh. For all the times Itaru has made him clean up his room, being around him during moments like this lets Tsuzuru relax and simply be the young, fun-loving college student his older brothers kept pestering him to be.

After their laughing session, they detour into a convenience store, wherein Tsuzuru loudly recalls Juza calling Banri such a term. That nearly sends Itaru into more laughter, but he settles for light giggling instead, schooling his expression at the cashier where he purchases some sandwiches and a bottle of orange-flavored Crocorade (though, Tsuzuru does see the other’s lips twitch). When they walk out of the corner store, Itaru passes the bag to Tsuzuru, who thanks him for the food. They continue to walk to the park in comfortable silence.

“Hey, you can just sit there. I won’t take long.” Itaru points to a park bench a little ways ahead of the path they were on. Tsuzuru looks at it, then at Itaru.

“The park isn’t very well lit tonight, are you sure you’ll be fine?”

Itaru rolls his eyes. “I’m not going that far. You’ll still be able to see me. Don’t tell me all those late nights scriptwriting are finally catching up to you.” Itaru’s fingers press the space just below Tsuzuru’s lower eyelids, his palm lightly cupping Tsuzuru’s cheek. “I’m not sure how I’d react to seeing you in glasses.”

Tsuzuru’s cheeks flush. He’s suddenly realizing how close they’ve been walking together, and that knowledge sends his heart to raise a fuss in his chest. He averts his gaze from looking into Itaru’s ( _pretty, stunning, gorgeous_ ) eyes and backs up a bit. 

“My vision is still perfectly fine, thank you! Go do your…Technomon stuff already. I’ll be waiting on the bench.” He briskly turns and walks away to the bench, not knowing that looking back would have granted him the rare sight of seeing a startled pink blush. Itaru walks off to go do his own thing, and Tsuzuru sighs to himself as he sits and unwraps his sandwich, ignoring his own embarrassing blush.

“Thanks for waiting,” Itaru says as he plops down onto the bench. Thankfully, or un-thankfully, he didn’t sit too close, rather taking to spread his knees out to rest his elbows on. Tsuzuru hums as he throws away his trash into a nearby bin.

“Not a problem. What did you do, anyway?” Itaru’s eyes glint as he leans over, looking as satisfied as a cat who caught the canary. 

“I did pretty well for only having a couple hours of the event left. I managed to get 3 Sparklies out of this trip, so it wasn’t a total waste.” Itaru shows Tsuzuru the so-called Sparklies—pink rats that have white sparkles surrounding them—and the rest of his haul. 

Itaru goes off to talk about game mechanics and Tsuzuru doesn’t understand any of it, game-specific lingo being completely unknown to him, but he doesn’t mind because Itaru has always looked his best explaining and talking about his favorite games to others. And maybe Tsuzuru has been spending too much time with Mankai’s resident poet because his thoughts are running like this: _His smile stops time, and his hair part like curtains; his eyes forever ingrained in my memory._

“And— What are you smiling about?” Itaru pauses to look at Tsuzuru. “Is there something on my face?” He raises a hand to touch his face and immediately draws it back. “Oh yikes, I didn’t notice how cold it got. My skin’s freezing.”

Tsuzuru huffs a laugh as he stands and starts to unzip his jacket. “Well, you did only come out in a sweater. That’s not much to ward off the cold.” He shrugs off his jacket, and Itaru pauses in rubbing his cheeks warm to stare at Tsuzuru inquisitively. 

“What are you doing?” he asks. Tsuzuru holds out his jacket towards the other.

“Hurry up and put it on. It should still be warm.” Itaru doesn’t move to take it, so Tsuzuru pulls him up from the bench and drops his jacket over the other’s shoulders. “Come on, Itaru-san. You might catch a cold.”

“What about you? You only have your hoodie on.” Itaru eyes Tsuzuru’s exposed forearms, but Tsuzuru waves a hand as he pulls his jacket closer around Itaru. 

“The dorm isn’t that far, and I can handle a little cold. I’m more worried about you.” He forces Itaru to slip his arms through the sleeves of the jacket and zips it up all the way. “This should keep you warm enough until we get to the dorms, right?” Itaru nods and mumbles his thanks, pulling the jacket closer around himself. (Tsuzuru misses the whisper of “special event unlocked.”)

They walk side by side back to the dorms. It’s dangerous walking around late at night, because even with its low crime rates, Veludo is still scary in the dark. Tsuzuru has the childish urge to grab Itaru’s hand and say it’s because he’s scared, but he refrains from doing that. Itaru, too, stays quiet, and they quietly slip into the dorms, skipping the second floorboard on the right to keep from making a squeak. 

102 is their first stop, and Itaru slowly peels off Tsuzuru’s jacket to give back. “Thanks for coming with me,” he says as he drops the clothing into awaiting arms. “My bad for taking time away from practicing and work.”

Tsuzuru shakes his head as he accepts his jacket. “It’s fine, I’m used to going along with your whims anyway. Though that doesn’t mean I’ll go with you next time you do this!” Itaru has the gall to laugh, but they both keep it quiet. Mankai dorms had some light sleepers after all.

“There won’t be a next time, don’t worry. All my HP's depleted, so I’m gonna go and recharge.” Itaru waves a hand, and Tsuzuru waves back as he clicks open the door to his and Masumi’s shared room, but they both linger and stay for another second before moving. 

It leaves Tsuzuru wondering if they were both waiting for something that wasn’t going to happen.

( 

_I forgot to say it earlier  
_ _Good night, Itaru-san_

Itaru smiles at his phone as Tsuzuru’s text pops up on his screen.

_gn tsuzuru)_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> slowly adding the chapters


	3. With all my heart

It’s a week and a half till their first performance. Tsuzuru and Itaru’s “dates,” as Chikage likes to call them, seem to be working because the Director compliments them on being able to properly express certain emotions and gentle actions. 

Tsuzuru thinks,  _ ‘Ah, the delivery is perfect,’ _ when Itaru reads out a particular line, one that Eurydice says when they narrowly escape Thanatos the first time.

『Orpheus, we can’t outrun him. It’s too late for me. If the Fates have declared I die, then I must.』 Itaru relaxes his face, letting his eyes go wide as despair clouds over the bright pink of his irises. Tsuzuru feels the need to yell out in protest and grab the other’s hand, but he’s not Tasuku who gets overly absorbed into his roles, so he only protests.

『We can outrun him! We will. The Fates are all-powerful, but their strings of fate mean nothing. I know better than anyone that a string drawn too tight with tension will snap, so we have to keep running, Eurydice. Please.』 Tsuzuru makes an aborted motion to tap his side, where Orpheus’s lyre prop will be. 『Just until the string snaps.』

Itaru sighs, and it’s as fond and weary as Eurydice will sigh because he and his best friend just escaped Hell and are now on the run from death itself because the higher-ups need one of them dead to preserve balance to the universe or whatever.

Kinda sounds like the economy right now, but Tsuzuru isn’t saying that.

“That was good! I think this exchange shows how close the two are,” Izumi says as she jots notes down on her script. “Oh, also, we’re having a dress rehearsal in three days, remember that! Yuki-kun should be done with the costumes later, so don’t leave the dorms unless it’s an emergency.” She dismisses them, declaring practice is over for the day, but two of the actors stay behind to talk.

“You did pretty good reading that last line. Did you practice it?” Itaru leans back in his folding chair as Tsuzuru gets up and stretches his arms above his head, script copy laying on his seat.

“Uh, not really? Not that particular line anyway. I may be in my last year of uni, but the coursework is still difficult.” Tsuzuru smiles sheepishly as he scratches the back of his neck. “In fact, I got a paper to write later tonight, so I need to prep for it.”

Itaru hums as he watches Tsuzuru shuffle about the practice room, making sure the windows are locked and closing the curtains. “Why don’t I stay up with you?” he asks out loud, and Tsuzuru nearly drops his folding chair, one metal leg hitting the wooden floor and making a sharp sound.

“H-huh? Uh, no offense Itaru-san, but you’re not the quietest person I know.”  _ You’re one of the least quiet people in the dorms. _

Itaru scoffs. “I won’t be playing games the whole time. I got paperwork the boss gave me to finish, not to mention just how much it all is.” He stands on his feet and picks up Tsuzuru’s script from off the ground. “C’mon, we can keep each other company.”

Tsuzuru tilts his head and bites his lip (a move Itaru finds cute), and decides to agree. “Alright, where do you want to stay?”

“I was thinking about the dining room? It’s a lot of paperwork on my end. I’ll bring one of my lamps from my desk so we don’t have to turn on the dorm lights and risk facing Sakyo-san’s wrath.” Itaru folds his chair and brings it over to Tsuzuru to let it lean against the 5 other metal chairs, passing the other his script. Itaru picks at the bright pink tape stuck on the back of the chair as he asks, “That good?”

Tsuzuru smiles as he takes his script. “Yea, that’s fine. I’ll see you after dinner then?”

Itaru nods and moves to walk towards the door, taking out his phone from his pocket. “Yep, I’ll see you then.” He turns on his heel and is out the door in a matter of moments, leaving Tsuzuru alone in the practice room. Tsuzuru follows soon after double-checking that everything was upright and shut.

Even though the late sun rays couldn’t shine through the curtains, Tsuzuru’s smile lit up the room.

It’s a quarter till 1 AM. The loud clicking of keys struggles to be louder than the methodical, loud scratching of a pen. Still, there’s a certain layer of quietness surrounding the two occupants at the dorms’ large dining table. There’s a loud groan, and hands pressing down on the tabletop makes one of the table’s legs creak. 

“Tsuzuru, want coffee? I can get us some.” Itaru stretches his back and straightens his elbows that crack from being bent since they’ve started working. Tsuzuru grunts, lowering the brightness of his monitor before adjusting it back to normal.

“Uh, yea, sure. Thanks. Black, please.”

“How eloquent,” Itaru laughs, rubbing at his eyes before trodding off into the kitchen. The clattering noises make Tsuzuru’s eye twitch in annoyance—or it’s just a sign of sleepiness and stress. He can’t be bothered to look up the symptoms of a twitchy eye now or else he’ll never finish.  _ Only the bare minimum of tabs open, Minagi! _

“I can’t believe you can drink pure black coffee. You must be some dark mage to be able to drink the stuff.” Itaru sets down two cups of coffee and slides a green cup over. He lightly sips from his own light blue mug with a cute 8bit dragon design wrapping around it. 

“I did play as Merlin during KniRoun the Stage, that’s close enough.” Tsuzuru drinks his coffee, letting the heat burn his tongue and wake him up. Itaru smiles, laughing a little as he drops back down into his seat. He sets down his cup to rub at his eyes before picking back up his pen to continue filling out the paperwork, and Tsuzuru narrows his eyes as he sets down his cup.

“You wear glasses right, Itaru-san? Why don’t you change into them?” 

Itaru freezes for a moment before laughing awkwardly. He taps his pen against the table as he says, “Ah, I’m fine. I don’t need them.”

“I didn’t ask how you were feeling though?” Tsuzuru leans forward to stare at Itaru. “Itaru-san, I read it’s bad to wear and keep your contacts on for long. You should change into your glasses if they’re irritating you.”

Itaru opens his mouth to protest, but then lets go and sighs. “Damn nosy older siblings,” he curses, but Tsuzuru just laughs and waves him off. Itaru takes his coffee with him, and leaves Tsuzuru to his thoughts.

_ I’ve never seen Itaru-san with his glasses on,  _ Tsuzuru hums as he runs his hands over his keyboard, letting words appear and disappear on his screen.  _ I wonder what color they are. _ He lets himself think about the possibilities: dark pink frames, blue in Lancelot’s shade, plain black on the outside but the inside of the arms have a pretty coding-inspired design. A lot of colors suited Itaru, in Tsuzuru’s opinion. 

_ Pink looks the best on him;  _ Tsuzuru finally settles on a color.  _ It’ll match his eyes.  _ He hums pleasantly to himself as he takes one hand off his keyboard to pick up his coffee. He hears footsteps come towards him since he’s typing at a much slower, less frantic pace, so the soft thuds of footfalls are easier to pick up in-between the clicking of keys.

“Hope I don’t look too weird,” Itaru says, and Tsuzuru’s eyes flick up for a quick peek. Instead, he almost chokes on his coffee, and narrowly manages from swallowing coffee down the wrong pipe. He coughs into his elbow, trying to get the itch-like feeling stuck in his throat to go away. He sees Itaru attempt to come over, but Tsuzuru holds up a hand to stop him.

“I’m fine,” he rasps. “I was startled since your glasses weren’t what I expected.”

Itaru frowns. “They’re weird, aren’t they. I picked the frames at random since I never intended on using them.” He taps the side of the lenses, frowning a little. “I have shitty RNG luck.”

Tsuzuru shakes his head. “No no, they’re not weird. They…” He stares at the other hard; looks into crystal pink eyes framed by kinda thick, big rectangular glasses. The color… “I thought your glasses were black?”

Itaru blinks. “Huh? Why?”

Tsuzuru blushes as he averts his gaze. “I just remember you showing us some pics of your high school days and you had those big black glasses in them. I thought you wouldn’t change your style.”

“Ha, changing the color of my glasses hardly counts as a style change, though?” Itaru laughs. “Banri and Citron helped me out by picking these. They said the color would look nice on me.” He leans over the table to smile shyly at Tsuzuru. “Well, do they?”

Tsuzuru squeaks as he gathers his words. _Pale spring green suits you. It brings out your eyes._ “I...I think it’s very nice. Yes, it does suit you.” He hurries back to do his work, and Itaru laughs quietly. 

They continue to work together in the noisy silence they had at the beginning, and Tsuzuru worries that his heart is beating too loud.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> drawing feels so much faster and nicer to do...until i remember i can't draw lol


End file.
